This invention relates to the use of whey-derived products as cheese flavoring agents or cheese flavor enhancers in food formulations. More particularly, the invention relates to the use of enzyme-modified, lactose-hydrolyzed whey or whey fractions as such flavoring agents or enhancers.
Cheese flavoring is used in a variety of products including, by way of example only, crackers, breads, salad dressings, cheese spreads, sauces and snack foods. In general, the cheese flavor in these products comes from the inclusion of a natural cheese flavor extract, an artificial cheese flavor or in some cases, natural cheese. Natural cheese and cheese flavors are expensive. Indeed, natural cheese is so expensive that it is used in only limited quantities, if at all, in most products.
In accordance with the present invention, it has been found that high quality, natural and inexpensive cheese flavoring can be provided by suitably modifying whey, the by-product of cheese manufacturing. In particular, it has been found that whey, which has had some of its lactose hydrolyzed and which has been subjected to enzyme modification by lipase and/or protease enzymes, is an effective source of cheese flavor for food products. Whey treated in this manner has been found to have a flavor profile similar to that of aged cheese. Moreover, when combined with natural cheese, natural cheese flavor extracts or artificial cheese flavors, the enzyme-modified, lactose-hydrolyzed whey products have been found to serve as an enhancer of the overall cheese flavor of the product.
Whey, the source material for the cheese flavoring agents or enhancers of the present invention, is in abundant supply. On a world-wide basis, the production of whey each year is estimated to be over 50 billion pounds. Whey typically contains, per liter, approximately 6 to 9 grams of protein, 45 to 50 grams of lactose, 6 to 8 grams of mineral salts, and 1 to 2 grams of fat. In view of this composition and its abundant supply, whey represents a potentially important natural source of food for human consumption, provided it can be modified from its original state so as to make it palatable and functional in combination with other food ingredients.
Unfortunately, whey, as it is produced during the cheese manufacturing process, is of limited value for use in commercial food products. Indeed, in the past, whey was regarded as a waste product and was discharged into sewers or streams and rivers. Today, because of increased concerns over environmental pollution, much of the whey which is produced is subjected to some processing so that at a minimum it can be used as animal feed. Using whey as animal feed, however, is a low value application and does not effectively take advantage of the true food value of whey.
Accordingly, the present invention, by providing a way to utilize whey as a cheese flavoring agent or enhancer, provides a practical means to use the food value of whey, and at the same time, in view of the low cost of whey, to reduce the cost of cheese flavoring products.